#4 #3 #1 and damaged a number of homes along the shore before dissipating south of Yale. A third tornado formed north of Dallas Center and tracked across farmland and a fourth tornado

A line of severe thunderstorms tracked across central Iowa late in the evening of May 11, 2014,

bringing with it damaging winds, torrential rainfall, a number of tornadoes, and large hail.

Across central Iowa, the storm complex dropped four tornadoes. The strongest of these

tornadoes formed south of Guthrie Center and quickly tracked northeast across Lake Panorama,

where it briefly produced EF-2 damage. A second tornado formed on the north end of Lake

Panorama and damaged a number of homes along the shore before dissipating south of Yale. A

third tornado formed north of Dallas Center and tracked across farmland and a fourth tornado

touched down in SE Boone County and damaged a farmstead.

Number of Tornadoes across North Central Iowa: 4

EF-0 Tornadoes: 2 EF-1 Tornadoes: 1 EF-2 Tornadoes: 1

#1

#2 #3

#4

This tornado formed 4.5 miles south of Guthrie Center and tracked northeastward, producing

EF-0 to EF-1 damage east of Guthrie Center. The narrow tornado then strengthened as it

reached Lake Panorama, where it briefly reached low EF-2 intensity and damaged several

homes and condos, along with dozens of trees. The tornado was overtaken by downdraft winds

and dissipated shortly after crossing Lake Panorama.

Tornado Strength: EF-2

Estimated Time: 9:43pm to 9:58pm CDT

Event Location: 4.5 miles S of Guthrie Center to 2.6 miles NW of Panora

Peak Wind Speed: 115 mph

Path Length: 10.98 miles

Average Path Width: 100 yards

Injuries: 0

Fatalities: 0

A row of condos on the east side of Lake Panorama had their roofs and second story walls

removed. The tornado was rated at a low end EF-2 at this location.

A partially destroyed barn early on in the track of the tornado south of Guthrie Center.

Trees downed at the Lake Panorama National Golf Course. Photo Courtesy of John

McLaughlin, Iowa Helicopter. Used with Permission.

Aerial photo of the EF-2 damage to the condos. Photo Courtesy of John McLaughlin, Iowa

Helicopter. Used with Permission.

A sequence of images from the Des Moines WSR-88D radar during the life of the tornado.

The path of the tornado is overlaid for comparison. Left image is base reflectivity and the right

image is storm-relative velocity. Times are 9:43pm CDT, 9:53pm CDT, and 9:57pm CDT.

As Tornado #1 was crossing Lake Panorama, a second tornado took shape a couple of miles

further north on the west side of the lake. This tornado quickly strengthened to an EF1 and

damaged a number of properties along the lake. The tornado then turned to the northeast and

eventually dissipated a mile south of Yale as downdraft winds overtook the vortex.



Event Location: 3.8 miles NW of Panora to 1.2 miles S of Yale




Injuries: 0

Fatalities: 0

Many trees were uprooted along the tornado’s path.

A falling tree crushed a car in a driveway.



image is storm-relative velocity. Times are 9:57pm CDT and 10:02pm CDT.

A combination of radar imagery, a ground survey, and aerial photography revealed that a third

tornado touched down in rural Dallas County north of Dallas Center and tracked northeastward

for 6 miles. This tornado was accompanied by strong RFD winds and damage was confined to

farm outbuildings. A special thanks to John McLaughlin for aerial photos of this track.



Event Location: 3.5 miles NNW of Dallas Center to 4.8 miles NW of Granger




Injuries: 0

Fatalities: 0

Farm buildings damaged by the tornado.

Scouring of the field northeast of Dallas Center denotes the track of the tornado. Photo

Courtesy of John McLaughlin, Iowa Helicopter. Used with Permission.




This brief tornado formed in rural southeast Boone County and damaged a shelterbelt and

farmstead. Damage at the farmstead was confined to trees, with damage to structures coming

from falling tree debris.



Event Location: 3.0 miles SE of Luther to 1.7 miles SW of Napier




Injuries: 0

Fatalities: 0

Tree damage at the farmstead from the tornado.

Scouring of the field denotes the track of the tornado. Photo Courtesy of John McLaughlin,

Iowa Helicopter. Used with Permission.




Documents

#4 #3 #1 and damaged a number of homes along the shore before dissipating south of Yale. A third tornado formed north of Dallas Center and tracked across farmland and a fourth tornado